Pierrot The Clown
by CandiLand95
Summary: Lily Carter was just an ordinary girl with a million secrets, one was that she was the Dark Masque, a vigilante. But she has one bad day that turns her life upside down and reveals all her darkest secrets that push her into the arms of the clown prince of crime, the Joker. Follow her down into a world of pain, abuse and possibly... love? lemons inside.
1. Prologue

_**A/N**_

_**This is my new Dark Knight story, Pierrot the Clown, that I came up with while I was in an exam (yes I was that bored). This story has Lemons. There, you have been warned. Okay also, Buffy fans will notice that this story is similar in some ways to Buffy/Spike relationship and I say that is the point! I really wanted to play on that relationship and found that you can work it with other characters. For those who read my other Dark knight Story, I'm sorry but I didn't like how I portrayed my character so I've decided to let that one go for now and will maybe one day re-write it to the correct standards that is Batman.**_

_**Oh my zeus I do ramble on don't I? Well, here it is, the prologue and bio of Pierrot the Clown, a sneak peek into the future of the Clownish tale! HAHAHA Also, I do not own Batman or any of it's characters, places or any other references to other stories/superheros/villian etc. Only the people you do not know from anywhere else!**_

_**Bio**_

_**Name: Lilith (Lily) Amber Carter**_

_**Alias: Dark Masque **_

_**Eyes: Violet with golden specks**_

_**Hair: Dark brown to black just past shoulders with bangs.**_

_**Occupation: Nurse**_

_**Let us begin.**_

**Pierrot the clown**

_Prologue_

"You're just like me now doll…" The Joker whispered into her ear. His hands were wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. Closer to the dark. Animalisticly, he licked slowly up her exposed neck and nipped her ear lobe making her quiver slightly. His face still bruised and bloody from her beatings barely hours ago. He had just witnessed her downfall, the fall of the Dark Masque, the fall of one of Gotham's great knights.

"No…" Lily gasped, staring at the dead man that had caused her so much pain, the only man besides the Joker that made her feel anything at all. In her hand, she still held onto the knife she had used to slit his throat. She felt nothing but the warm tingling sensation as his life dripped away and the thrill of the kill, but she wasn't going to admit that to him. That would make the Joker right and she couldn't let that happen.

The clown prince of crime smirked knowingly as his hands travelled past the skirt of her corset. His fingers moved through the silky fabrics of her panties and chuckled. "…you don't feel any of it…" he undid his fly. "… just the anger…" he shoved himself inside her, making her moan. "…And the pleasure of taking a life." He slowly pulled in then out, pushing as far as he could into her, he wanted Lily to feel the pleasure taking a life. He wanted her to feel the pleasure as her first kill lay at her feet. "You got off on it Lilith. You're a freak. Like me!" he ended in his trademark laugh.

xXx

How did she fall so far? Let me take you back to where it all began...


	2. Two worlds, Three lives

_**Chapter One**_

Lily's violet eyes flashed open at the sound of her alarm clock radio. "…Crash with a total of four fatalities. That is the fifth car crash this week caused by a man that calls himself the Ri-" Her fist came down onto the clock, nearly smashing it again. That would have made seventeen in the past month, almost an accidental record. _'Alert Guinness'_ Lily stood up and stretched as she yawned sleepily. She had been up most of the night, not for the reasons most people her age would be doing, she wasn't out partying or sleeping over her boyfriend's house (if she even had one), she was running around town fighting crime. She was the Dark Masque and boy did it take a lot out of her.

The Dark Masque, a fierce defender of Gotham. Lily had been training for eight years, fighting on the streets for three but no one ever noticed her. They all noticed the Batman but never noticed the red and black cladded girl. Extremely sexist huh? Lily didn't mind but the Dark Masque did.

Lily let her body stiffly drop down to the ground and she instantly pushed herself to do her usual round of morning push ups, she had to stay in shape, the criminals of Gotham were becoming tougher as each day passed. After she had finished, she walked over to her dressing table and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her midnight escapades were beginning to show, dark circles around her violet eyes were forming, her dark brown almost black hair a mop of tangled mess and then there was the many bruises and shallow cuts all over her body under her grey sweatpants and pale pink tank top.

Grimacing, Lily picked up her brush and pulled it threw her tangles. After several minutes of tears and grunts, she finally tamed her curly mass of hair.

"LILY!" her mother screamed from down stairs. "ARE YOU AWAKE?"

Lily chuckled. "Yeah ma, even if I was, I think your screams would have woken up the dead!" she shouted back light-heartedly. She loved her mother dearly and she knew she was only trying to look out for her but she was still excited about finally leaving the nest. The only reason she had stayed for as long as she had is because her mother had grown sick and she could bearly afford her studies at Gotham University. But that was all over, her mother was much better and Lily was a fully qualified nurse.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK!" Her mother shouted back after a loud snort. Lily rolled her eyes, she had two and a half hours and it only took thirty-five minutes to get to work.

"Ok ma!" she quickly ran into the bathroom connected to her room for a quick shower. Lily massaged her sore muscles as she cleaned herself, her hand moved down her side and gasped. _'I really have to invest in some armour in my costume'_ she thought as she gently washed off the dried up blood on her slight stab wound. The knife had just missed it's target last night but it had struck something alright. Once she had finished, she reached out to the bench for a towel and found empty air. _'Huh?'_ she thought to herself. slowly she opened the bathroom door and poked her head into her empty room and saw her towel on her bed with a folded piece of paper._ 'Odd.'_ Lily bolted over to her towel and wrapped it around her wet body. She picked up the folded note and swallowed dryly.

To my dearest Lily

You bring life to my willy

Be prepared for tonight

Cause daddy loves to bite

- Ross

'_Oh god not again.'_ She thought feeling defeated. Ross was her stepfather and since she was a little girl, he had been paying her 'night-only visits'. At first she didn't know what was going on, and he coaxed her, telling her it was her duty and if she didn't do it, she would be a bad girl. As she grew older, she thought about turning him in but then she would lose everything. Who would believe her? They would think of her as a common slut for letting him do such things to her. Lily had learned how to put him off, a couple bottles of liquor would put him out like a light. She would disappear into the night (unknown to him her secret identity) and now she was finally leaving. Things are about to change.

'_No more nightmares. No more Ross. No more pain.'_ Lily smiled as she scrunched up the extremely bad poem and dried herself and pulled on her work clothes. A white nurse dress with her name badge above the pocket on her left breast, a violet belt that matched her eyes and sensible white and black sneakers. Her hair was already mostly dried and had sprung back into its curly mess, she pinned the sides back and fixed up her bangs. _'One last touch…'_ she looked into the mirror and stared at her flawless pale skin, well, almost flawless. She quickly opened her foundation and covered up her raccoon eyes and stopped with her brush millimetres away from her eyebrow.

There on the end of her left eyebrow was a thin scar she had won one day when she was first mugged. She had a really bad day at school and finally stood up for herself and put up a fight and he took a swipe at her with his knife. Lily shook her head of those memories and continued to cover it up as much as possible. She wasn't ashamed of it or anything; it was when the 'Dark Masque' had finally come out in her. People knew her as a sweet innocent girl with unsual eyes who would never hurt a fly and took pity on her after her mugging. She just didn't like people pitying her.

That night, she swore she would help Gotham, she would unleash a powerful force and wipe out criminal activity in the god-forsaken city.

Grabbing her black side bag, she grabbed the door handle, looking back at her room which was a freeze frame of a little girl's room. The walls were a soft pink, her furniture white trimmed with pink and posters of local bands no one outside of Gotham had ever heard of.

'_I will leave this place'_ Lily thought as she closed the door.

xXx

The Joker stood at the open window with his arms opened wide and his eyes shut. The soft breeze weaved through his greasy green hair. Everything was quiet and still. Except of course the elderly couple that were bound and gagged in the corner stained with their own blood. The Joker sighed mockingly and turned to the couple with his signature twisted smile making them scream and plead. He walked right up to them until he was almost nose to nose with the grey-haired woman.

"Hi." He said simply, grinning toothily. She screamed even louder. "Ah-ta-ta-ta-ta!" he said pulling out his favoured razor and pressing it against the woman's cheek. "Nice place you got here, so far away from people… from the police or anyone that could help!" he chuckled and they both whimpered. "Oh now, don't you wanna know how I got these scars?" he asked, pouting childishly. Neither of them moved, their eyes fixed on the razor. No one ever dared to look at him in the eyes, the scars yes but no one could stand the cold black pits that were his eyes. "I had a pretty bad up-bringing… my father huh, he killed my mother and abandoned me before I even started school. My grandparents…" he smirked and closed his eyes eyes in enjoyment. He loved to play with his food. "…We're just as bad as him. I was bullied relentlessly, and I never smiled. Always a frown. One day, they had enough of my frown and pinned me down…"

'_Huh, made a rhyme'_ he randomly thought as he trailed his beloved razor across her old wrinkly skin. "…And suck a razor in my mouth and gave me a nice. Big. Smile." The woman whimpered as he forcefully shoved the razor into her mouth. "You need to smile more granny. You're much to uh, serious." She screamed as he carved up her face. The Joker watched as the woman passed out from the pain and slowly bled out onto the floor. Her husband was shaking with fear, sobbing madly and staring at his beloved wife slowly bleed out at his feet. "Come on Gramps…" The Joker said moving to the newly widowed man. "Why so serious?" he hissed in the elder man's ear.

The razor slid across the wrinkly throat, sentencing the man to death. The Joker watched in a childish glee as the old man grasped his neck to stop the bleeding as he choked on his own blood. He was all riled up. The kill had gotten him all excited and now he had to sit here and wait for the opportune moment. He had to wait again and he was no patient man.

Without warning, the Joker turned around to the two dead bodies and kicked them viciously, taking out his anger on the bleeding carcases.

"Uh boss…" said Pat, the Joker's longest living henchmen. He stood in the doorway, gripping the edge prepared to fling himself out of the way if need be. The Joker stopped, hunched over his latest victims, he turned around looking passive at Pat, who tried not to flinch at the calm expression on his face. It was like the calm before the storm, extremely frightening.

"What is it Patty boy?" he sung as he cleaned his knife on the slightly dusty lounge next to him.

Pat swallowed nervously and ran a beefy hand through his short red locks. "We uh, got the "transport" you wanted, and the newbies are set to kill each other off during the heist."

The Joker smiled his trademarked grin, his eyes fuelled with glee and insanity. "I think it's about time we take out a uh, deposit don't you Patty cake?" Pat cringed at the horrible nickname the Joker had just used but still nodded his head solemnly in agreement. His boss was brilliant. A few screws loose but brilliant. And he was going to change Gotham forever.


	3. Messing with the wrong people

Chapter Two

Everyone at Gotham General Hospital loved Lily, she was polite, friendly, always on time and loved to look after her charges. As she walked through the corridors, doctors would congratulate her successes, nurses would try to engage her into mindless chit-chat and patients would ask her if she was visiting them today. Lily breezed through her usual routine of talk to the more... permanent residential side of the hospital. The place where they held people who were most likely going to leave this hospital unless in a hearse.

She paused outside room 173 and quickly fixed up her uniform before knocking on the door softly. "Come in!" called out a weak voice. Lily pulled on her cheeriest smile and walked into the slightly dim room. Visiting this room was always a double edged blade, she loved visiting but it hurt to see someone fallen so far.

There was only one bed in this room, situated about three feet away from the window with thick blue drapes drawn shut. Laying on the bed was a fragile old man, withered by age but not completely ready to give up on life. His stormy blue eyes filled with life and still held a spark that only appeared when Lily was around. The room was faintly humming and Lily's eyes flickered to the machines that kept him alive.

It saddened her seeing a once lively man relying on a hunk of metal, the calluses on his hands showed the hard work he had overcome, his wrinkles represented each year of laughter he had enjoyed but the humming was a reminder of what he had now... nothing. His life was as hollow as the droning machines next to him. "Hello Mr Crane, how are you today?" The man looked up at the young nurse and his eyes widened.

"Jonathan?" he asked hopefully, reaching out to Lily. She sighed and took his hand gently.

"No Mr Crane, it's Nurse Lily." She said calmly. She watched as his face turn from hopeful to crestfallen. Lily had to injure this every time she talked with this man, he always called her Jonathan and then asked her if he was here.

"He's... Is he here?" He asked so innocently, looking up at Lily who shook her head and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "Maybe he's just too busy... He works at that Arkham Asylum you know, such a clever boy. Just wish he would come by once in a while..." Lily couldn't look at the broken down man in the eyes, she didn't want to tell him that his 'clever boy' was actually a villain of Gotham and had caused his heart attack that placed him in the hospital. "No one visits... son wont visit, wife ran off with another man, missing father and mother's dead..."

He stopped and looked up at Lily with penetrating eyes that Lily could not look away from. "You look like her you know, violet eyes... dark hair..." He shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Ah well, I'll be joining her soon." Lily frowned and stood there for a minute thinking to herself.

Mr Peter Crane, her father? Ha! Imagine her mother with a man of his age while he was with his wife! Lily tried to picture her mother, Peter, Jonathan and herself sitting around an armchair by the fire reading a book like a happy family. She could imagine herself with pigtails and Jonathan pulling one of her tuffs of hair and her screaming out in pain. Lily bursted into laughter, bringing the elder man out of his trance.

Seeing his confused expression she quickly explained what she had envisioned and soon he was laughing along with her. "I would have loved to have you as a daughter my dear, you've taken such good care of me for the past couple of days..."

"Um, eight months..."

"Oh..."

Suddenly the door was thrown open and the nurse named Kathy came crashing in looking awestruck.

"Kathy, what is it?" Lily asked worriedly, her mind spinning off into scenarios that involved her family and other patients.

"A-I-He-B-Bruce Wayne just called and asked for you, he said something like 'Tell Lily to turn on her damn phone and call me back' and-" Lily held up her hand to stop her friend from more rambling.

"Thanks Kathy." Lily said letting go of Peter's hand. "See you later Mr Crane." She said as she walked out into the corridor with Kathy hot on her heels. 'And here we go'

"Do you know the famous playboy Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes."

"How long? Were you to fuck buddies? Oh my god is he as hot as they say in the magazines? How come you didn't tell me?"

Lily sighed, Bruce had always caused this for her. "I've known him since we were little, no we were not 'fuck buddies' nor will we ever be, he is good looking but he's not my type and I didn't tell you cause then you might use me to get close to him." Lily ended lightheartedly, smiling in triumph as Kathy's face grew slightly pink.

"I-I di- I mean,"

Lily laughed and hugged the other girl. "It's okay, I was only teasing at the last part, sort of. I know you wouldn't do that but I didn't always know that." Kathy smiled shyly and babbled on about how she needed to go and do something. Lily giggled as she watched her friend quickly run off in the other direction, clearly embarrassed by her own behavior. It happened every time someone found out about her being best friends with Bruce Wayne.

She walked into the locker room where all the staff kept their belongings safe while they worked and quickly moved to her own. Lily unlocked her locker in a quick flash and fished out her mobile and turned it on. Seventeen missed calls from Bruce and two voice messages.

"Lily it's Bruce, I know you like it at the hospital but I have a job opening seeing as my secretary doesn't understand simplest things-"

Delete.

"Knowing that you would have delete my message before listening to it fully, I left this message. Come on Lily! Better pay, better hours for half the work! I have a bad feeling about you working there Lily, please call me?" Lily sighed as the message ended. She punched in Bruce's number and it rang twice before he answered. "Hel-"

"No."

"But-"

"No!" Lily could hear him sigh and could picture him rubbing his brow in frustration.

xXx

Bruce was rubbing his brow in frustration. 'God she was annoying!' Here he was trying to help her and she flatly shot him down again. "Why?" there was a pause on the other end. "Why stay there Lily? You know better than anyone the types of people that walk through that door!"

"Not everyone that walks through here is a criminal Bruce!" He heard her sigh. "Look, I know you're just trying to protect me but momma I'm a big girl now and-" she stopped mid-sentence and he heard her press a few buttons. "Damn!"

"What is it Lily?"

"The bank's calling me, I got to go-"

"Call me as soon as you get home!"

"Yes dad." And with that she hung up. Bruce groaned and lazily chucked his phone on the lounge where Alfred quickly picked it up and put it on the coffee table.

"Everything okay with Miss Carter?" Alfred asked already knowing the answer.

Bruce ran his fingers through his filthy hair and sighed. "She's fine, I just have a bad feeling Alfred, she's... Lily."

Alfred sighed and picked up a photo frame "Master Wayne, I know you feel responsible for Lily, as do I, but there comes a time where you have to realise, she isn't a little girl anymore. She doesn't need her big brother watching over her like... well, big brother." He handed Bruce the photo. "She's a grown woman now, in charge of her own life, just like Miss Dawes." Alfred strode out leaving Bruce to wallow in his thoughts. Bruce looked down at the photo to see Lily looking straight at him whilst she held up her certificate and smiled lovingly at the sight.

She may not have been his sister but it sure felt like it. His baby sister. And it was going to stay like that no matter what. Bruce smirked, she was only a few years younger than him but the years seemed to multiply in his eyes every time he saw her or even thought of her. 'Little Lily'

That's always how it was going to be.

xXx

'Oh god, why me?' Lily thought as she jumped out of the cab outside Gotham City's bank. Her shift at the hospital had just finished when she got the call from the bank to give her the terrible news. The bank manager's voice echoing through her mind.

'...Sorry Miss Carter...'

'...Mistake with your loan...'

'...Declined.'

What did she expect? It was well known that that particular bank was harbouring some of the mobs money. It was a mob bank but did she really have a choice? Most banks in Gotham are either controlled by the dangerous men or hold "small" sums of their riches. Others were shot up every second day.

"Ugh!" Lily growled as she made her way up the main stairs of the bank. Lily wanted to just go home and get changed into her Dark Masque costume and beat up a criminal. For justice of course. 'Always for justice.' She opened the door and walked over to one of the tellers. "Hi, I'm Lily Carter and I'm here about my loan-"

"Ah Miss Carter!" boomed a rather ratty looking bank manager. Lily smiled and walked over to him and held out her hand.

"Hello Mr Finick how are you?" Lily asked politely as he led her to his office.

"Good Ma'am but you didn't have to come down, the bank is closing in an hour." Finick said looking slightly frustrated.

Lily frowned. "Why so early? It's only Four..."

"Yes well, we have particular clients... coming in soon." He said hintingly. Lily's mouth formed an 'O' shape and she nervously played with her skirt and looked up at the mirror behind him. 'Vanity alert.' she thought when she spotted the mirror. But then she saw three figures walk through the doors, raising their guns.

"Where is the nearest closet?" Lily blurted out. Finick looked at her confused and then saw the men. He looked down at the nervous girl and quickly opened a secret doggy door behind his desk. Lily mimed a thank you and quickly crawled through the small tunnel, dragging her bag behind her. 'Looks like the Dark Masque was coming out to play sooner than she planned.'

xXx

The Joker sat in the van with the two other guys, Grumpy and Chuckles, ignoring their conversation about how much money they were each going to get. 'Pathetic.' He thought as he loaded his gun. He grimaced underneath the frowning clown mask, he hated guns, sure they were fun but knives... were so much... more. Little flickers of emotion showed themselves as they slowly bled out and the smell of the blood stained on the blade never leaves, no matter how much you wash it.

His favorite blade was tucked neatly in the inside pocket of his old grey suit jacket. Most insane criminals name their favorite weapons but he never named his, it was almost as bad as having a young child, it was a sign of human weakness; a thing he, the Joker, does not have.

"...No wonder they call him the Joker!" the one called Grumpy said. The Joker held his finger over the trigger and tried to control the urge to shoot the idiot opposite of him. "Come on, lets get this over and done with." Grumpy said when they pulled up outside the Bank.

xXx

Lily crawled out of the small door into an empty corridor. 'Thank god!' She opened up her bag and pulled out her costume. "You guys picked the worst day to rob this bank." She murmured as she quickly got changed and ready for a fight.

xXx

'I am sooo close to freaking shooting him!' the Joker thought angrily as Grumpy barked out commands to both the hostages and clowns alike. A gun shot filled the air and the clown called Chuckles flew through the air and came crashing down. One clown down and if his plan was working, the second killing was happening up on the roof as they spoke. The surviving clowns dove behind a counter as the bank manager stormed over to them and shot at their hiding spot.

'Manager grew some balls.' The Joker thought as he counted the bullets he fired in their direction.

"He's got three right?" Grumpy asked him. The Joker grinned under his mask and held up two fingers, he just wanted to have a little fun before everything got serious.

Finick fired two more bullets and Grumpy jumped up. The Joker watched as the manager fired his last bullet into Grumpy's shoulder, throwing him onto his backside. Finick fumbled to reload his weapon and the Joker sighed as he jumped up and shot the man in the torso. Finick fell to the ground and grimaced in pain. The Joker picked up the manager's shotgun and stared at the man in pain, tilting his head as he did as if he was studying a strange labrat in a scientific experiment.

"Where'd you learn to count?!" Grumpy asked grumpily. The Joker was grinning again under his mask as he slowly loaded up the shotgun with fresh shells. Grumpy limped off to find the others leaving the Joker alone with the hostages.

Finick looked up at the Joker in disgust. "You have any idea who you're stealing from? You and Your friends are dead!" He shouted at the man hoping he would become fearful. The Joker looked down at him and licked his lips, maybe he should let that one live just to see what he had in store for Gotham, that it didn't matter who he was stealing from, all that mattered was who was stealing from them.

Grumpy came back, dragging several duffel bags of money. Mob money. Blood money. "C'mon, there's a lot to carry." Grumpy grumbled. The Joker strode over and helped the other clown drag the heavy bags into the Centre to form a huge mountain of bags. "If this guy was so smart he would have had us bring a bigger car." The Joker snorted, if only he knew. He felt the hot barrel of the recently used gun touch the back of his neck. "I'm betting the Joker told you to kill me as soon as we loaded the cash." A sense of thrill ran through the Joker's body as he felt the gun against his neck; he loved the idea of life hanging in the balance, leaving everything up to chance, not knowing the next step. It was chaos and he was the agent of chaos, the clown prince of crime. Everyone was going to learn that very soon, starting with this foolish man.

The Joker straightened up as he said this and they slowly began turning, taking one step at a time, lead by the Joker. "No, no, no. I kill the bus driver." The Joker says to the gun wielding man.

"Bus driver? What bus-" A yellow school bus came crashing through the building running Grumpy over, finally killing him. The driver opened up the back door of the bus as the Joker picked up the fallen weapons.

"He's not getting up is he?" The driver clown asked jokingly. They loaded up the bus with the cash while the driver commented on how heavy the money was. "What happened to the rest of the guys?" The Joker didn't even turn around when he fired his gun. 'There's your answer' He gripped the doorway of the bus and took a step in.

"I don't think you can get that large of a withdrawal here." The Joker turned around and smirked. Standing on the staircase was a beautiful red haired girl wearing a red mask with black clown triangles over the eyes of the mask. She was wearing a black and red corset that was short at the front and long at the back, one red boot and one black boot with matching elbow length gloves. He then spotted a pair of handcuffs hanging off her belt among other things and knew she was one of them, different but one of them. "Look buddy, if you somehow even make it out of here, your boss..." She took a few steps closer and dramatically waved her hand around and moved her fingers in an elegant matter. "...he's just gonna kill ya for the money."

"Unless..." He took off his mask and her smile was wiped off.

"Joker."

"Well well well, you know me." The Joker walked up to her and pointed his gun at her. "But who are you?" He traced the gun down her back as he spoke to her. She spun around and knocked the gun out of his hand and twisted his hand behind his back.

"I'm the Dark Masque." she growled into his ear. The Joker scoffed and gripped onto the fabric of the corset and flung her over himself. She gasped in pain when she landed on her back and the Joker grinned in sadistic pleasure. She was not expecting him to have that much strength. Lily spun around and knocked him down as well. She climbed on top of him and sat on his waist to pin him down and then she reached for her handcuffs.

"Kinky." The Joker giggled. He rolled her over so then he was on top. "But we just meet." He began laughing hysterically as he punched the girl until she was close to unconsciousness. The Joker sighed when he saw her state and picked her up and half carried, half dragged her over to a chair. "Let's try something uh, Miss Masque." He yanked her handcuffs off her belt and chained her wrists to the chair. "The pigs will be here in uh, five minutes. I'm willing to bet, they don't know who you are and also you don't want them to know."

He looked at her and he could see her hair wasn't real, it was believable but up close, he could see it was fake. Then he saw her eyes, he couldn't really tell the colour cause of her heavy-liddedness, only that it was a dark colour, possibly dark blue or dark brown like his. He wanted so badly to unmask the Dark Masque but time was running short, he wanted Gotham to burn and she wasn't part of it. 'Not until I'm ready.' She glared at him as he stared. 'She's gonna be fun to break though.' He thought as he stood up.

"See ya soon doll." He let out a bellowing laugh as he walked back over to the bus and drove off into a parade of yellow school buses.

"Damn it!" The Dark Masque gasped. The Joker had done up her handcuffs too tight for her to slip and her lick pick was on the front of her utility belt. "Stupid Joker..."


	4. The Drowning Of Lilith

Chapter Three

The Dark Masque struggled with her handcuffs while the frighten citizens cowered in their hiding spots and watched her struggle in awe. 'How humiliating...' She thought to herself as she sighed out loud in frustration. 'Come on, come on think!' Millions of unhelpful ideas plagued her mind but no ideas to get her out of this particular situation. She felt helpless again, she could hear the sirens as the police quickly approached the now robbed bank. The Dark Masque never felt helpless, Lily was a helpless, innocent girl but her alter-ego was a powerful woman who attacked from the shadows and still put on a fantastic show.

"Gahh!" she shouted in frustration, rattling her bindings like a wild animal.

"Need a hand?" Asked a deep gruff voice behind her. The Dark Masque craned her neck and laughed bitterly as Batman picked at her handcuffs.

"Hello Batsy, long time no see huh?" Batman forced down a laugh, he had bumped into this woman a few times during his fight against the various villains and criminals of Gotham city. Her fighting skills almost rivaled his own and he knew her to be shadow like, not many people knew of her. Frankly he was surprised to find her in her current predicament, she was so careful most people never noticed her roaming the streets.

The handcuffs fell to the ground with a loud clunk and she stood up and stretched out her slim body like a cat. "Mmmm... Thanks Bats." Batman watched as she confidently walked towards the staircase to collect the rest of her belongings.

"Wait."

The Dark Masque smiled and turned around with her head tilted to one side. Her grin was wide even though she was worn and beaten, she walked back over to the dark knight and pretended that with each step, her wounds caused her no pain. "What happened here? You never come out in day-light..."

"Oh, are you analysing me Bats?" She said smugly, getting into Batman's 'personal bubble', just to get on his nerves. "Watching my... every move?" Her violet eyes twinkled and Batman frowned. "My my aren't we inquisitive"

"Is that you're real eye colour?" Batman asked suddenly, there was only one person he knew with violet eyes. Behind the mask, Bruce began to panic... he didn't want to even think of his 'little sister' on the streets fighting crime like him. He wanted her to be safe at home, caring for her mother as always with a happy smile and a cheerful stride.

The Dark Masque scoffed "Contacts. Don't want anyone to know who I really am do I? Last week I had brown eyes and the week before that I had green. I thought maybe I could be a bit more... colourful." She ended, flashing her brilliant white teeth. She watched his analysing brown eyes for any signs of disbelief, if he saw through her lie he would know exactly who she was and have leverage she was not willing to give him. 'God, why did I forget to put in contacts?!' Satisfied with her answer, he turned away and looked at the damage caused by the clown. She let out the breath she had been holding and fixed up her costume. "It was the Joker again, I was in the neighbourhood and saw the clown masks..." She nudged one of the dead minions with her shoe.

"He's getting really creative and becoming less shy..." She frowned a bit. "But it's not his MO..."

"What did he take?"

She opened her mouth to reply but the door banged open and a hefty crew of police officers lead by Lieutenant Jim Gordon. The police filed in with their guns held up ready for attack, each looking skittish and surprised by the two people standing in the centre. Gordon sighed and uncocked his gun. "I'm guessing the culprit is gone?"

Batman locked eyes with the Dark Masque and they both held back their laughter. "Yes Lieutenant, you just missed the show down." She said, standing proudly and intimidatingly. "The Joker decided to steal money from the mob and accomplished this, if he's smart, he'll somehow get away with that but I highly doubt it."

Batman scowled at the younger woman. "Never underestimate one man."

"But yet you can underestimate one **Wo**man..."

Gordon could see this could easily turn into a bloodbath and quickly cleared his throat. "Battle of the sexes beside, I would like to get a statement from you Miss ah,"

"Dark Masque"

Gordon sighed and pulled out his notebook and quickly scribbled down the name, knowing fully well he was not going to report this to his boss.

"Lieutenant! The safe has been cleared of cash!" Called out a rookie from the top of the stairs. Gordon sighed again and all three of them made their way up to the emptied safe. "This was the only one opened..."

"It's the only mob one..." Gordon noted, looking at the safe door. Batman turned to the Dark Masque who glanced at the ticking clock nervously. "What exactly happened?" Gordon asked, turning to the both of them.

The Dark Masque quickly told them what happened, obviously changing the beginning where she had been in the office and got changed just down the hall. "Okay, I told you everything can I go now? I've got somewhere to be."

Gordon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, police protocol says I have to turn any vigilante in..."

"Got it. Slipped away when you weren't looking." She said as she walked off to collect her things. "See ya around Bats." She ended with blowing him a kiss. Batman rolled his eyes and turned back to the slightly amused officer.

Batman and Gordon continued their conversation about the marked bills and the new players against old players in town when suddenly Gordon's radio crackled with life. "We have a reported 187 at 89 Fleet Street, Caucasian female mid-forties, Suspect is missing from the scene..."

Batman's eyes widened in horror. 'Lily...'

Gordon listened as he always does and mentally decided another officer would take over that case while he dealt with the present one. "I hear he's a stubborn as you..." He continued as he turned around and found himself talking to himself again. "...are." Gordon sighed and accepted a cup of coffee from his colleague.

xXx

"Hey mum, I'm sorry I'm late. There was a terrorist holding up the bank again." Lily said, hanging up her trench coat on the coatrack. She walked into the lounge room and saw her mother clumsily flung out on the lounge with a bullet wound through her head and a terrified look glazed over her eyes. The bag fell to the ground with a dull thud and she stood there staring at her mother scared and helpless. "Mum?" Her mother's blue eyes stared up at the ceiling unblinkingly and a tear trickled down Lily's paling face. "Mummy?" She asked childishly, not caring if anyone saw or heard her moment of childishness.

Lily ran over to her mother's lifeless body and grabbed her arm and instantly let it fall from her grasp. She was so cold. "please... oh my god..." Lily turned away from her mother and vomited up her entire stomach's contents. The door slowly opened and a frightened elderly woman who lived next door walked in, tears obvious on her cheeks. She watched the young woman emptying her stomach on the ground next to her mother. "I'm so sorry my dear..."

"What h-happened?" Lily hiccuped.

"I'm not sure, I heard shouting and sobbing. And then minutes later, these cars pulled up outside and there was a gunshot. H-he walked out of the house covered in blood and h-holding a gun... They c-congratulated him and drove o-off."

"He? Ross?" Lily growled, feeling anger rise up through her body. The old lady murmured a yes and Lily stood up at full height with rage pulsing through her veins. "Have the police come yet?"

"No...I called them..." She stammered, fearful of the raw power and outrage wafting off this once young and innocent young girl. She knew of what was going on behind closed doors but was too fearful to stand up and say something, fearful of that horrid man who murdered the peaceful woman that laid next to a pool of sick.

Lily turned around and faced the elderly woman. Her face was stony and twisted in fury, no sympathy or love remained in her eyes, just pure anger and a thirst for revenge. "Stay with her... I'm going after him... the bastard is going to pay..." She growled, grabbing her bag and making her way to her room to lock and load.

"Vengeance is not the answer!" The elderly woman called out to her. Lily stopped. "It will take everything away from you! It will destroy you!"

A silence fell between them but the air did not change, it was still thick with death and filled with electricity. "I've already lost everything..." Lily said softly. She then disappeared upstairs and the older woman shook her head sadly and looked over to the dead woman she use to converse with everyday over the fence.

"Not everything Lilith..."

xXx

Pure rage fueled Lily to continue on the vendetta against Ross, she was going to kill him, even if it was the last thing she ever did. He was going to learn what it was like to be on the receiving end of the low blow, feel every bone in his body break, feel the bullet pass through his own skull and then finally sink into the firey pits of hell for eternity. She knew where he was, heck she practically goes there every week to spy on the mobsters.

The docks.

Perfect dumping ground, no one for miles and even the police fear to go down to this particular dock. Mobs controlled this part, everyone knew it.

She could hear men laughing inside anding gasoline onto the fire in the pit of her stomach. 'How dare they laugh when my mother lays dead?!' she thought as she climbed up to her usual hiding spot on the roof near the skylight. 'They shouldn't even be alive...' Lily spotted Ross in the mix of other tough men, holding up a bottle of champagne and smiling as if he had not just killed his 'Love of his life' but as if he just won something. He said something to the group and they all cracked up laughing at his joke. A beefy man slapped a hand on his shoulder in congratulation and it hit her.

This was his initiation. He made his blood oath, became part of the family, all he had to do was kill someone... And he chose her mother! The world's most wonderful person! Lily gripped her knife in her hand and tears filled her vision. She raised one hand from the glass to wipe away the salty water and the glass shattered from the focused weight on her one hand holding up her entire body.

The room fell silent as Lily crash landed on the concrete and glass, bloody and bruised. Groaning, she pulled herself up and found herself surrounded by angry mafia members. 'Crap.' her logic part of her brain said. She then locked eyes with Ross and all logic flew out the window. Screaming, Lily lunged at Ross and knocked him over and repeatedly punched him until several men gripped onto her body and pulled her off their new family member.

"Oh Lily, Lily, lily..." Ross chuckled as he pulled himself up. Lily glared at his smug expression and wanted nothing more than to rip it off his now cleaned face. "You really should have stayed away..." He walked up to her and grasped her left breast. "Are you gonna be good for daddy?" he said mockingly.

Lily glared at him and spat him in the eye. Ross angrily wiped it away and punched her jaw. Feeling the joy of bashing his once daughter, he repeatedly beat her and kicked her until her entire body was covered with nasty bruises and cuts and she was barely conscious.

"Can't have any loose ends can we boys?" The men around his cheered loudly and unceremoniously threw her onto a net where she feebly tried to move off it, finally fearing for her life. They shoved her back down and wrapped her up tightly and added the weights. "This really does feel good doesn't it Lily? I killed my annoying, nagging wife and now I get to kill my more than willing stepdaughter." They dragged her down the dock and laid her near the edge. "Say goodnight bitch." He hissed as he roughly kicked her off the dock.

Lily watched Ross walk away as she slowly sunk into the darkened depths of the water. Water filled her lungs and her natural instincts kicked in and her body began fighting against the inevitable. Lily closed her eyes. She was going to be with her mother, she was finally going to have peace. Her body slowly stopped fighting the crushing weight of the water and her heart stopped beating.

xXx

Batman jumped out of the tumbler and ran towards the mobsters who had just pushed her body into the lake. The scrawny bosses saw the bat and quickly headed for the hills while the big beefy hired guns stood their ground and tried to fight the Batman. After the last goon hit the ground, Batman looked over to where Lily's body had slipped into the water and ran as fast as his armour could allow him.

"LILY!" he shouted as he ran. He dove into the water and began swimming around the darkened depths to find her. Suddenly, his gloved fingers got caught in a dark curl drifting around a dark figure laying on the ground. 'Lily!' his mind exclaimed. He roughly grabbed her limp body and with all his strength swam for the surface.

When his head bursted through the skin of the water, he gasped for air and squinted at the dock which was a few metres away. Batman swam over and pulled her body out of the water and onto the dock. "Lily!" he exclaimed again, trying to wake up the dead girl in his arms. In a flash of a heavy duty knife, her bindings fell free and Batman began performing CPR. When he pressed his lips against her's to breathe into her mouth, the shape end of his nose on the cowl cut into her delicate skin and after unclipping it from the hidden compartment on the back of his neck, he yanked it off and continued for a few minutes.

Suddenly, she coughed and spluttered. Inhaling heavily, her violet eyes flashed open and looked around fearfully and locked eyes with Bruce's brown ones. Bruce let out a shaky laugh and pulled her into a hug. Lily didn't respond, she just fell back into unconsciousness... she was alive but didn't respond to Bruce's desperate pleas to wake up. Becoming Batman again, he scooped up her small body and made his way back to the tumbler. Batman silently thanked Lieutenant Gordon for having his radio/walkie-talkie with him, if he hadn't, Batman wouldn't have been able to save the day this time.


	5. Exit Lily, Enter Lilith

_A/N  
Hey guys, thanks for reading my story, I'm really glad you guys are liking it. I put a lot of time and effort into this story and I'm really happy to do so. I've studied Law, Police codes, Mafia laws and physcology for this so everything you're reading is quite accurate. The Joker is only mentioned in this chapter and I'm sorry but I want to establish Lily's change. Please please please review and give me any suggestions or feedback, I love and value your opinion! And Ross is actually based on a combination of a few people I know (none of them are good) and don't worry, Ross will pay. I'm a man of my word, or well, Woman of my word xD  
Anyway, enjoy!_

~CandiLand95

_Chapter Four_

Five days passed since that night. Five days Lily had been in a coma. And during those five days Bruce had stayed by her side, only leaving to go to the bathroom, everything else was either given to him by Alfred or put on hold. Not only Bruce's non-existant life had been put on hold but so was Gotham's protector, Batman. Gotham nearly lost two of it's greatest knights five days ago and the citizen's didn't even know it.

The Doctors had told Bruce four days ago to call her family as she most likely wouldn't make it... her brain had endured an immense amount of damage and signs of life were minimal. Bruce glared at them when they suggested this and growled "She will make it." And they left him alone after that.

Bruce held her limp hand for hours and pleaded her to fight, to pull through for him, Alfred and Rachael. Lack of sleep finally took it's toll on the devilish Playboy and he rested his head on her lap and fell into a deep slumber where Lily was alive and well and of course innocent. Lily's finger began to twitch within Bruce's slack grip but Bruce didn't feel it, he was too exhausted. Slowly her violet eyes opened up and looked around frightened and puzzled. Her vision was slightly fuzzy and the lights of the room were blinding through her eyes. It was as if she was being born all over again, a shock to all the senses.

The droning of the machines were almost deafening, the stench of bleach filled her nostrils, lights blinding, the blankets scratching her unbelievably sensitive skin and the taste of morning breath overridden her mouth. Lily closed her eyes and bit back the bile in her throat that was threatening to rise. After a minute, her senses slowly died back down to a bearable measure and Lily opened her eyes to search around the room.

Her eyes locked onto the sleeping man with a head of untidy brown hair on her lap and his hand loosely gripping her own. Gently, she raised a stiff arm and pushed his hair out of his eyes affectionately.

Bruce stirred and sleepily opened his eyes in a childish manner. "Lily?" he asked groggily. Lily looked at him confused but Bruce just broke out into laughter and pulled her into a tight hug. "I knew you would pull through!" He murmured into her mattered dark locks. Bruce closed his eyes shut and a tear slipped down his cheek, Lily was alive, HIS Lily was alive and well.

Lily put both hands on his chest and weakly pushed Bruce away giving him a questioning look. "Pull through?" She stated rather than asked. Bruce nodded his head and took her hand into his again.

"Yeah you were in a coma for five days, if Batman hadn't pulled you out when he did, you would have died."

"Batman?" She asked, frowning slightly.

Before Bruce could reply, Dr Davis walked in and dropped his notepad in shock when he saw his colleague awake and moving around. "Miss Carter you're awake!?" He gasped, taking his glasses off as if to confirm her very existence and his own sanity.

"Miss Carter?" Lily asked even more confused. Bruce's heart took a nose dive down to his tingling feet. "Is that me?" Lily asked innocently. She looked down at her bloody and bruised body covered in hospital garments and gasped. "What the hell happened to me?!" She exclaimed. Her head snapped up at the two worried men and with a pleading look in her eyes asked "Who am I?"

xXx

Lily sat there unmovingly as the Doctor spoke to her and Bruce. She felt so empty, so lost. Lily knew where she was, Hospital where she apparently works, she knew the dashing man next to her was a man called "Bruce" and the doctor in front of her was "Dr Davis". But who was she? How did this happen to her body? And who was this "Batman" that apparently saved her?

Bruce signed the papers given to him by the doctor with shaky hands as Lily watched him in interest. _'Who is he?'_ His face was unshaven and dark circles surround his worn brown eyes but he felt so familiar to her. _'Is he my husband?'_ Lily looked down at her hand and saw no traces of a wedding band. She looked over at Bruce's hand and could never see him wearing a wedding band, it didn't seem to suit him at all. _'Boyfriend?'_ Lily mentally snorted. _'No, he doesn't give off that kind of vibe good or bad.'_

Bruce looked at Lily and forced an uncomfortable smile. She had been staring at him for most of the time she had been awake and when she wasn't staring at him, she was looking at her broken body. She still looked like Lily but something was different, her movements were more sharp and her eyes seemed to pierce through to his soul. It was if she was a totally different person inside Lily...

Bruce shook his head and held out his hand. "C'mon Lily, I'll take you home."

"Home?"

xXx

The car trip had been quiet but Bruce didn't want to push her, he was a stranger to her and she was a stranger to herself. The doctor had advised Bruce to give her time and help her out as much as he could without pushing her too far. Bruce shuddered at the consequences he had been told just half an hour ago. _'Insanity, Suicide, homicide...'_ He hated the idea of Lily hurting herself or being locked away in a padded cell like Jonathan Crane but the thought of Lily killing someone and having to put an end to her killed him inside.

They pulled up at into her driveway and Lily looked at Bruce puzzled. _'She doesn't even recognise the house she grew up in...'_ Bruce thought sadly. He jumped out and opened the door for the reluctant dark-haired girl. Lily walked past Bruce without acknowledging him and touched the police tape across the front door. something in the back of Lily's mind stirred, like a distant memory whispering in her ear to remember. A woman screaming and a gunshot racketed through her head followed by a small voice calling out "Mummy?"

"The police must have forgotten to take down the..."

"I thought I had drowned..." She said softly, running her fingers along the smooth plastic of the tape. Bruce frowned and gently pulled the tape off the door frame and quickly unlocked the door, not really wanting to tell her what had happened in this very house. Lily looked up at Bruce's stony expression and decided not to push it just yet, he looked exhausted.

They walked into the house with bated breath. By special request, the police department had sent a cleaning crew through the crime scene and cleaned up the puddles of blood and sick. The house had remained in complete silence and left an eerie aftermath within it's walls. Bruce watched as Lily looked around the house and explored the things she use to know. Lily walked around the house slowly and looked at the still frame shot of her past life; photos of a happy smiling girl with a mysterious man and woman mocked her, fruit rotting in the fruit-bowl attracted flies... and then she found her room.

Soft pink walls, white furniture trimmed with pink and covered with posters of bands she had never heard of. _'A little girl's room!'_ She mentally hissed. Lily scrunched up her nose and someone chuckled behind her, scaring her. She swept her feet around and knocked one very surprised Bruce onto his back.

"Ouch!" Bruce gasped. "What was that for?"

Lily frowned "Never sneak up on people Bruce, they might kick you onto your ass." Lily looked surprised at what she said and so did Bruce. She extended her hand and Bruce gladly took it and they both straightened themselves up. "So this is my room?"

"Yep."

"I like pink?"

Bruce laughed. "No, you actually like the colour purple. Your mum painted the walls pink when you were a baby."

"Expecting a girly-girl then huh?" Lily joked as she opened up a draw. The first thing she laid eyes one was a turquoise turtleneck sweater with a huge kitten face on the front. "This is quite ridiculous..." She said, lifting up the sweater and holding it against her curvy frame. Bruce laughed and the uneasiness disappeared. Lily carelessly flung the sweater back into the draw and tried desperately to remember what she once had.

"Well I better get home, Alfred is probably worried sick..." Bruce started, ruffling his already messed up hair. Lily could see he was exhausted because of her... how many nights had he been awake just to stay by her side?

"Stay, Please?" Lily asked softly, looking up into Bruce's brown eyes. Bruce smiled, _'Why not?'_

xXx

Lily and Bruce were curled up by the fireplace while they watched a movie he claimed was her favourite. Lily had changed into a pair of stripy pair of purple short shorts and an ice blue singlet top she had found underneath a vast collection of sickeningly cute pajamas and jogging shorts. Bruce just took his top off and his belt leaving him in black pants and a white singlet. They had dragged blankets and pillows to build a type of nest while Bruce told her stories of what they had gotten up to in their younger years.

"So we were best friends?" Lily asked, taking a bite of her pizza slice.

Bruce nodded. "Very much so, there was also Rachael..." He said blushing slightly. "Me and Rachael had a thing but... we didn't agree on something and she moved on..." He downed his cup coke and Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Really."

"How did we meet?" Lily asked curiously.

Bruce laughed. "Your mother was a maid of Wayne manor, and a close friend of my parents. She use to bring you to the manor so we could play. After my parent's died, she looked after me along with Alfred. She was like my adoptive mother, and you were my sister... until she married Ross."

The name seemed familiar to Lily, and not in a good way. "Who's Ross?" Bruce shifted uncomfortably in his makeshift seat.

"It doesn't matter..."

"But-"

"Lilith please, let's just watch the movie." Bruce growled. He could feel Batman's rage push through so he kept his mouth shut. Oh yes, Bruce knew who killed Lily's mother and who tried to kill Lily but he hadn't had the chance to track him down yet. Lily closed her mouth and stared intensely at the screen for a few minutes.

"Why doesn't she strike a bargain with Jareth or at least attack him? She can take out armoured guards but she can't take out a guy with glass balls?" Lily complained grumply. She looked over at Bruce and her face softened, he had fallen asleep again. Lily picked up a loose blanket and covered his exposed skin and made her way up to her alien-like room. She began a thorough search to see if she recognised anything and hopefully figure herself out. Lily was a puzzle to herself and she desperately wanted to solve it.

She began tearing the room apart, clothes went flying, piles of junk began to grow 'Ugh I am so getting a new wardrobe after this' She thought to herself as she ruffled through her modest clothing. She grabbed the handles on the bottom of the wardrobe but they refused to budge, not even a bit.

Lily flung open her wardrobe and noticed something was amazingly familiar about opening this wardrobe like this. The clothes inside were packed in tight and colour coded. _'Neat-freak'_ Lily mentally labelled. Grabbing fistfulls of coathangers, she removed all the clothes to reveal a map of Gotham city covered with little red pins, circles and newspaper clippings along the innerwalls of the wardrobe. Lily gasped as her eyes skimmed over the map and the red marks until a joker card pinned to a newspaper clipping above a dive in the narrows caught her attention.

Carefully, she unpinned the clipping and read over the text. It was about a homicidal clown who calls himself a Joker. Written at the bottom in red ink was "Gotham Sirens". Lily frowned and tried to de-code what someone (most likey herself) had written on the bottom. Suddenly it clicked and Lily spun around to see a poster of the "Gotham Sirens" near the window.

Lily scrambled over to the poster and tore it off the wall and turned it over to see a blurry picture of the Joker in his war-paint and a tacky navy blue suit with a description underneath.

_Name: Joker (real name unknown)  
Pattern: N/A  
Sightings: Too erratic to track  
weaknesses: None  
NEXT BIG BAD_

"Joker?" She murmured as she read over the information. Suddenly a memory came crashing through her mind...

_The Joker walked up to her and pointed his gun at her. "But who are you?" He traced the gun down her back as he spoke to her. _

A shiver ran down her spine.

_She spun around and knocked the gun out of his hand and twisted his hand behind his back._

_"I'm the Dark Masque." she growled into his ear. The Joker scoffed and gripped onto the fabric of the corset and flung her over himself. She gasped in pain when she landed on her back and the Joker grinned in sadistic pleasure. She was not expecting him to have that much strength. Lily spun around and knocked him down as well. She climbed on top of him and sat on his waist to pin him down and then she reached for her handcuffs._

_"Kinky." The Joker giggled. He rolled her over so then he was on top. "But we just meet."_

Lily gasped, _'I fought this maniac?'_ She then spotted another poster and she stormed over and ripped that one down and turned it over:

_BLACK MASK  
CAPTURED BY DARK MASQUE  
ARKHAM_

She ripped down another poster.

_CALENDERMAN  
CAPTURED BY DARK MASQUE  
ARKHAM_

Every single poster was the same, a bad guy who was captured by the Dark Masque, some had warning labels others were completely harmless. Lily walked back over to the wardrobe and looked at the map again and she noticed under some of the pins was a letter like a J which came up multiple times in various places.

_'Joker...'_

A ribbon was sticking out from the bottom of the wardobe and Lily narrowed her eyes. Carefully, she slowly tugged on it and the bottom lifted up to show a hidden compartment where the draws use to be. Knifes, guns and other varieties of weapons and the Dark Masque costume from her flashback were inside. Lily lifted up the mask and a pleasant chill ran down her spine. She could remember the thrill of fighting the Joker, the adrenaline pumping through her veins...

"Lily?" Called out Bruce from the stairs.

Quick as a flash, Lily closed the compartment and wardrobe doors. "Coming Bruce!" She quickly got up and ran out to the door and bumped quite literally into Bruce who instinctively grabbed her arms to steady her. "Uh Bruce, w-who is the Dark Masque?" She stammered.

Bruce frowned. "How..."

"Newspaper. There was a newspaper article about the Joker and it mentioned the Dark Masque." Lily lied easily.

"She's a, vigilante like Batman but less recognised... She's powerful but was holding back, I don't know what, no one knows what..."


	6. Wisdom Of Alfred Pennyworth

_A/N_

_Hello Everybody! I'm back and this is chapter may be small but it is extremely important! Now, I know a few people think that this story is going to go Joker/OC/Bruce but I've already written a love triangle like that and this is not what this story is about! I love the idea but Bruce is Lily's Big brother and it would be strange (especially for me) if they suddenly have an attraction after years and years of friendship. And for those who are waiting impatiently for Ross's death, don't worry, "Soon will come, soon will last... wait." All the Joker/Oc goodness is coming up very soon so please, any suggestions, criticisms or just plain G'days please review or message me, it gives me the warm and fuzzies when you do =)_

_My my, do I ramble! Well, let's boogie! I do not own any of the characters except my own and I am writing this purely for pleasure and entertainment of others_

_~ CandiLand95_

_**Chapter Six: Wisdom Of Alfred Pennyworth**_

Lily sat next to Bruce in one of Gotham's many churches (apparently the crime rate boosted religious rates and number of churches) as the balding minister spoke of Lily's mother in sorrow, as if they had been close. But he had never met Amber Carter, what he said was his interpretation of what others had told him to say. He didn't know if she had been a loving, caring woman who forgave and forgot everyone's sins, she could have been the devil's advocate and he would not know any better. His eyes flickered to her young daughter and a chill ran down his spine. She had not cried one tear, her violet eyes stared at the casket, glazed over in fake sorrow much like his. A mask of woe.

Lily's eyes moved away from her mother and locked eyes with the minister who in fright, stuttered and nearly dropped his bible. She was wearing a simple black modest dress that ended just below the knee with a white ribbon tied around her narrow waist and a black shawl over her shoulders. Her shoulder-length dark hair was pinned up slightly on both sides showing the bruises that her make up had not covered. She would have looked innocent if he hadn't seen her eyes. They stared up at him unblinkingly and looked as if they were filled with hundreds of years old knowledge.

Lily was angry at herself. Here she was at her own mother's funeral and yet she couldn't shed a single tear for the woman she called momma. 'Had I called her momma? Or did I just call her mum?' Her mind rambled on as everyone in the room sobbed and mourned the loss of the wonderful woman, Amber Carter.

"... She will be truly missed." The minister concluded looking somber.

Bruce gently nudged Lily and handed her a single white rose. "Do you want me to go up with you?" He asked the young bruised woman. Lily meet his soft brown eyes and saw only sadness and pity. Anger flared up inside her for a split second but she just shook her head and stood up with all eyes watching her as she made her way to the open casket that held her mother.

Lily paused with her back to the others and studied Amber Carter's delicate face surrounded by coffee brown locks. Her face seemed so peaceful, calm and at rest. If it hadn't been for the bullet wound between her eyes, Lily would have thought she had just fallen asleep. She looked like Lily, an older, more mature version of Lily with lighter hair with a few grey strands mixed in with the brown. She didn't recognise her, it was like looking into an older version of herself rather than her mother. She was a stranger to Lily and here she was, laying a white rose on her cold clasped hands.

Not wanting to stand there any longer, Lily turned her back to the woman she use to adore and walked over to Bruce who pulled her into a warm comforting hug she honestly didn't need. But she played the part, he needed that.

xXx

Bruce took her to a small hidden beach on the outskirts of Gotham where they use to go to when they were kids. But unlike her childish self, Lily stayed away from the water. "She did just drown just under a week ago." Said Alfred wisely to Bruce as Lily sat on the sand just out of ear-shot.

Bruce sighed and plonked himself down on a smoothened rock. "She didn't recognise her mother Alfred..." Bruce stated sadly.

"Yes Master Bruce but sometimes after somethin'' as traumatic as finding your mother murdered an' dyin'' in the very same day, the mind suppresses these memories an' everything involved. I believe, there is somethin'' more she is suppressing, we just don't know it yet and neither does she."

"That's why she doesn't recognise me..." Bruce said softly.

Alfred frowned. "How is that sir?"

Bruce ran his hand through his hair adding a few grains of sand to the dark texture. "I took off the mask, she saw I was the Batman and Batman saved her from dying..."

Whilst Bruce and Alfred were talking about her, Lily stared out into the waves as they crashed onto the shore. She knew what they were talking about, she wasn't born yesterday! 'Well, it bloody feels like it!' She thought bitterly as she ran her fingers though the hot sand, creating patterns and shapes. Her mind was still reeling from what she had found last night and what Bruce had told her... Was she really the Dark Masque? Did she really fight criminals? The image of the laughing man called the Joker flashed through her mind and adrenaline coursed through her veins.

Yes, and tonight... the Dark Masque will rise again.


	7. The Dark Masque Rises

_A/N_

_HA! I posted this chapter so soon! I forgot to mention last time I've got a copy of the Dark Knight Rises on DVD and you can see it's taking a toll on my title names xD I had a bit of difficulty writing this chapter even after all the planning it still doesn't go the way I wanted to. Oh no! I've become a schemer! D= Ah well, Things are coming together for Lily, figuring out her duty and accepting it, bravo! Again, any suggestions, comments etc leave a review or just message me, I go on nearly every day to read other stories. And. Here. We. Go!_

_~ CandiLand95_

_**Chapter Seven: The Dark Masque Rises**_

When Lily got home from her mother's funeral and the excursion to the beach, she was excited and determined for what the night held for her. She bid Bruce and Alfred goodnight and trudged up stairs with purpose and a strange feeling of de ja vu all over again. She opened the wardrobe and pulled up the secret compartment and touched the fabrics of the Dark Masque outfit._ 'It's now or never Lily...' _she thought to herself as she pulled it out and carefully changed into the Dark Masque.

Lily looked into the mirror and instantly felt more comfortable and more confident. The corset showed off all her curves and managed to show and hold her breasts in, giving her a seductive look whilst not having to worry about her slipping out of her costume during a fight. The skirt of the corset was of course irritating, short at the front, long at the back. Sure it was in and made it slightly more modest (at least from behind) but the airy fabric of skirt served as a risk. Lily tied her utility belt on and loaded it with small weapons and other gadgets she must have gotten her hands onto illegally or made herself.

_'Huh, maybe I wasn't such a girly-girl after all'_ Lily thought as she held up a sharpened breast dagger. A sly smile graced her lips as she carefully tucked it into her top, she then pulled on her heavy black boots that made their way half way up to her knees. Lily felt a small button just under her big toe and cautiously, she pushed down on it and a sharp knife shot out of the bottom of her shoe. Staring at it as if it was a god sent, she raised her foot up to examine her shoe.

"Beautiful..." She murmured as she traced her fingers delicately across the flattened side of the protruding knife.

Slowly she lowered her foot and picked up a pair of hand cuffs and smirked. "Kinky" said the memory of the Joker. _'Very.'_ She mentally agreed as she attached it to her belt along with her other tools. Lily then tied her hair back into a tight bun and secured a red wig with clips then picked up a make-up box that was hastily stuffed at the bottom of her wardrobe.

Lily opened the box and saw a selection of different eye contacts, black grease paint, black eyeliner, red lipstick and a red mask with black clown triangles over the eyes. Instinctively, Lily picked up a random set of eye contacts and began transforming her face. She looked up into the mirror and couldn't recognise the woman staring back at her, but she seemed so familiar... The contacts were a icy shade of blue that contrasted well with the darks surrounding her eyes. Her eyes were cold glaciers that would freeze any man who dared to look into her eyes. The mask hid the bruises not covered by foundation and Lily smirked at her reflection.

She felt sexy and dangerous, her harlot red lips quirked up into a sly half smile as she lastly pulled on her matching black and red gloves that matched her outfit. "Gotham better be ready, the Dark Masque ain't going to hide in the shadows anymore..."

xXx

The Dark Masque prowled the streets, her instincts guiding her around the streets of the narrows as if she had done this many times. Lily probably had before. She could sense someone was near by, she could smell the stench of desperation or was that just the sewers?It didn't matter, a scream pierced the air and she quickly turned her heel and ran to one of the millions of dark alleyways. A dirty drunken man had a well-off woman pinned to the graffitied wall while her young son, probably eight or so on the ground with a split lip and sobbing madly. The Dark Masque tapped the man on the shoulder and he turned around and stupidly blinked at the strangely dressed woman.

"It's not nice to attack a defenseless mother and her child." She swung her fist and hit his nose. He turned his back to her and swore loudly. "Hey! There is a kid present here, keep it PG okay?" She picked up a wooden two by four and screamed "Batter up!" and swung the wood across his head, knocking him out instantly. Disappointing really.

She waited a few seconds panting, waiting for the kick she had gotten in her memory. But she felt nothing. Not the thrill of a fight, or the giddy feeling of saving the mother and child, nothing!

"Get out..." She growled at the pair, frustrated. When they didn't move, she turned her murderous glare towards them. "I said GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed at the frightened two. The mother scoped up her trembling son and ran out of the alleyway not sure if she was glad for the help or annoyed by the rudeness of the strange woman. The Dark Masque turned to the unconscious man laying at her feet and gripped her newly found weapon tightly. "Why." WACK! "Can't." WACK! "I." WACK! "Just." WACK! "FEEL!" She swung it again but a high pitched laughter stopped her.

She turned around and her eyes widened, the Joker was leaning against the wall casually staring at her in interest. "Oh don't stop on the count of me!" He said hopefully but when she threw her weapon down and slowly walked up to him, he knew she was finished with him.

"Joker." She said venomously.

He tried to hold in his laughter and keep a straight face. "Dark Masque." He said casually. After a second of silence, he let loose a peel of giggles and bent over to hold his ribs. "Ho he ha ha, that was, terribly cliche`d doll... Joker" He imitated her voice poorly and the Dark Masque just rolled her eyes irritated and slightly... amused?

"What do you want Joker?" She asked, arching a brow under her laughter died down. "You get away from the pigs I see, difficult? Of course not, my marionette would always get away..."

"Pigs? Marionette?..."

The Joker frowned mockingly. "Forgot about me already doll?" He circled her like an predator stalking it's prey. "You forgot my pretty face?" He traced his Glasgow smile with his fingers elegantly, or at least as elegantly the Joker could.

The Dark Masque scoffed bitterly. "I've actually forgotten a lot of things lately..." she murmured more to herself. The Joker carefully examined her and saw a clip on her wig sloppily hidden. Suddenly he pounced on her and pinned her down on her stomach and perched himself on her lower back. "What the hell?" she growled as she went tried to toss him off her but he pushed his knee into her back painfully. "No no no no Doll-face, you stay down like a good little girl..." She struggled underneath him but he just pinned her down with his body weight as she wriggled. His hand found a clip on the back of her wig and Lily quickly understood what he was doing. She quickly kicked her leg back and caught him off guard long enough to throw him off her back and jump back up onto her feet but not before he got a glimpse at her dark hair.

"Asshole!" She squealed as he slowly rolled over onto his stomach.

When he got up on all fours, she pushed the trigger in her shoe and the dagger shot out and with a swift kick, she stabbed him in the rolled over onto his back and laughed whilst still in pain. "I gotta get me some of those..." He chuckled as he tried to get up. But the Dark Masque wouldn't let him, she stood over him and swung her fist to meet his jaw. when her fist came in contact with his face, a jolt of emotion and power surged through her body, just like in the bank. Drunk off the power and emotion she continued to punch him; breaking his nose, cutting up his lips and covering him in his own blood.

The Joker watched as this powerful angel pounded his face like a punching bag. She was so close to falling, he could practically smell it. He relished in it... the pain he felt, the bloody he spilt... he loved every second of it, got off on it. "Do it. Hit me!" he shouted at her. But before she landed the permanently damaging blow, she looked down at the smirking bloodied man below and her blood soaked gloves.

"Oh god..." She said, stepping back. She was becoming a monster, like him. The Joker pulled himself off the ground with a grunt and swung his fist at her. She didn't even flinch, she took the hit and like a frightened doe, she looked up at him with big eyes and ran off into the night.

The Joker laughed as she ran. He was so close to breaking her. He bent down and picked up the fallen blue eye contact and smirked, he was so close to finding her. How many women in Gotham City have violet eyes and dark brown hair? He could only think of one.

xXx

Lily stumbled into her house exhausted both emotionally and physically. Without really caring, she stripped down to nothing, walked into the adjoining bathroom in her room and turned on the shower. As the hot water ran down her sore body and mixed with the blood, she tried to figure out what was going on. Every time she had hit the drunken man in the alley way, she felt empty... hollow... But when she had hit the Joker... A shiver ran down her spine.

Lily growled and punched the wall of the shower, leaving a gaping hole and more wounds and blood on her knuckles. What was wrong with her? Why can't she remember what happened but could remember **him**? Why did she only feel something around him?_ 'Am I a freak?' _she asked herself.

Lily finished up her shower and wrapped a towel around her wet body and looked in the mirror. "Shit." One eye was ice blue, the other was violet. _'Had he seen?' _she thought as she took out the other contact. The phone suddenly rang, scaring the hell out of her. After gathering herself, Lily picked up the phone and nervously asked "Hello?"

"Lily, are you okay?" It was Bruce.

Lily sighed in relief. "Yes Bruce I'm fine..." She looked at her new bruise forming on her jawline and grimaced. "...sort of."

There was silence. "What happened?" He asked deadly serious.

"I just fell down the stairs, apparently I'm a bit of a klutz." She joked, hoping he would believe it.

Bruce chuckled. "You always have been. Anyway, I'm hosting a charity ball for Harvey Dent..."

"It sounds like you'd rather not..."

"...No, but I'm doing this for Rachael and also so you can get back into the groove again." He said smoothly.

"The Groove? How old are you?" She joked as Bruce laughed over the phone.

"So can you make it?" He asked hopefully.

Lily bit her bottom lip as she looked at her reflection. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night and it's a ball so it's formal and I'll have Alfred pick you up at eight. Great! see you then bye!"

"Wait Bruce!"

Pause. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?" Lily waited on batted breath.

"Anything."

"Who is my dad?" There was a long silence and she could hear him whispering to Alfred.

"I have no idea, but I can find out for you if you would like..."

Lily smiled. "Thank you Bruce." They then said their good nights and Bruce left his manor to become Batman while the Dark Masque went to bed as Lily. Neither of them knew the storm that was brewing in the near-future.

_A/N  
Will she rise or will she fall? Read on and find out =)  
~ CandiLand95_


	8. Day Of Peace? No Way

_A/N Hello everybody no I am not dead, I've been distracted lately but I am going to try to write more often... I really miss it!  
Well last time we left off Lily had just had a fight with our beloved Joker and one of her contacts fell out and the Joker saw her eye colour! Also Bruce invited her to a Charity event for Harvey Dent... We all know what this means ;D  
Anyway, here's the next chapter... enjoy!  
~CandiLand95_

Shopping. The very last thing Lily wanted to do but she had to, after seeing the overly modest dresses and cutesy frilly dresses in her wardrobe she drew the line and got a taxi to the nearest shopping mall. She stood at the entrance of the giant countless storey high mall and felt her blood run cold. 'This is madness' She thought as flashy women with horrible fake tans and obvious plastic surgery pushed past in packs ranging between three and ten. Lily looked down at her own body and thanked the heavens she hadn't done anything too drastic before her drowning.

She looked up at the glass of a shop window and stared at her reflection in deep thought. She was pretty but dark circles were beginning to form around her eyes. That's when she noticed the scar in her eyebrow. _'What the hell?'_

Another secret from another life.

With a sight Lily walked into the first store, a lingerie store. If you're gonna buy a new wardrobe, you have to start from inside out. She looked around at the racks filled with new bras and matching underwear and picked up a shopping basket. Lily walked around the store and noticed a few women gawking at her and whispering amongst themselves. _'What the hell are they looking at?'_ She thought angrily to herself as she busied herself with a pair of dark rich green underwear with lighter lacy trimming.

Lily grabbed her size (she had checked her sizes before she had left her house) and grabbed the matching bra. She loved the colour, it would contrast well with her pale skin. Lily shoved the pair in her basket and continued through the shop, ignoring the whispers and pointed fingers.

She moved the the checkout where the checkout woman glanced at her every few seconds. Lily looked away and her eyes found a small rack on the checkout desk filled with white bra and underwear sets with cute laughing clowns printed on them. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to hold back the laughter. The Joker's laugh filled her mind and without another thought, she picked up her size and popped them onto her decent sized pile to be scanned.

"The clowns have been selling like mad since the Joker came around." Lily looked up at the cashier who looked like she regretted speaking.

"Really? I would have thought the sales would have dropped..." Lily said while playing with a bow on one of the bras. The woman gave an awkward shrug and looked down at her work. Lily looked over her shoulder and every single person in the shop diverted their eyes from her. Anger boiled up inside of her. "Why is everyone staring?" She growled.

The cashier let a small giggle slip and Lily looked back at her. "Um, well, everyone's h-heard about what happened..."

Lily's eyes widened and her face grew darker. "How?"

The woman gulped. "Well, being so close to a celebrity like Bruce Wayne c-can put you in the spotlight as well..." Lily's demeanor changed back to the usual and she gave her a charming smile she wore as the Dark Masque.

"Well I am still a person you know..." She turned back to the people and with a snarl said "...And I don't like to be stared at like a freak." Everyone in the store quickly turned back to what they were doing and the everyday buzz slowly picked up as if nothing had happened. Lily looked back at the cashier with a small smile and purchased her delicates. "Thank you." She said as she picked up her bag and turned her heel.

"Come again!" The cashier shouted after Lily, feeling a little star struck.

"Not bloody likely..." Lily murmured as she walked out to the next shop. The next couple of shops were just the same but Lily just ignored them and continued on with her shopping.

Lily then entered a formal wear shop, her arms filled with bags from previous stores. She let out a sigh and walked over to a shop assistant who was standing idly about polishing and overly polished broach. "Um, excuse me..."

The man nearly dropped the broach from fight and Lily caught the rag that had fallen. "Uh Thank you... How may I help you Miss...?" He asked, ears going red matching his flaming hair.

Lily smiled. "Carter. I'm going to a charity ball tonight and I need a dress..." She looked at his name tag. "...Terrence." Terrence's heart skipped a beat when she said his name. He offered to take her bags and lead her to the fitting area. The fitting area was huge, there were changing rooms on each side, a large mirror covering an entire wall, three platforms surrounded by comfy couches and there was only one other girl desperately trying to fit in a short tight black dress to please her screeching friends.

Lily's nose crinkled at the sight and Terrence laughed. "They come in, try on dresses they have no hope in ever getting into and leave without buying anything almost every week."

"Must get tiring putting up with them." Lily commented as she looked at a golden dress that was short at the front and long at the back and swirled over the chest.

Terrence shook his head. "No, no, no gold. It doesn't suit your complexion and is too tacky this season." Lily raised an eyebrow and Terrence smirked. "I have a way of finding the perfect dress..."

Lily smirked. "I'll hold it against you..."

Terrence walked around the shop with a purpose. He would flip through the dresses, one would catch his fancy and he would stare at it for about thirty seconds before shaking his head and moved along. Occasionally, he would pull one out and hand it to Lily and she would try it on feeling unsure each time. The first time she wouldn't even come out of the change room.

"Lily..."

"No! I am not coming out!" She shouted through the door as she tried to reach the zipper to take off the dress. Terrence waited five minutes, listening to her struggles with an all-knowing look and the lock on the door turned and a very grumpy looking Lily opened the door. The dress he had picked out was a flaming red dress that flowed down with a strapless sweetheart neck line with a slit up her right leg. He coaxed her onto the platform and made a few adjustments and took a step back to analyse.

"Red looks good on you but this isn't the dress."

And so the search continued for an hour.

Then he found it. "Here! Try this one on!" Terrence said to Lily as he shoved the dress into her hands. "Go on!" he said encouragingly. Lily changed into the dress and slowly opened the door. The entire room went dead silent, the other girls stared at Lily as she stepped out in a sleeveless mermaid type of dress that hugged her curvy frame and hung loose mid-thigh. It was a pale silver dress with purple fabric twisted with little purple rhinestones the size of her fingernail embroidered. She walked over to the platform just like before but she seemed to walk in slow-motion.

Quietly, Terrence picked up a hair clip and gently twisted her hair into a high bun and clipped her hair into place. Lily looked into the mirror and gasped, she looked so beautiful and the dress matched her eyes perfectly. "It's... it's perfect..." She turned to Terrence and smiled "Thank you."

Terrence waved her thank you away and his ears flamed up again. Lily looked at the mirror one last time and quickly got changed back into her normal clothes while the girls whispered about _'That girl with the purple eyes'_.

Lily opened the door and walked over to her things where a pair of silver pair of high heels with a delicate swirling pattern of silver glitter decorated the top and sides, a matching silver clasp and a silver shawl. She looked over at Terrence and smiled. He had guessed her shoe size perfectly and when she slipped on the shoe, it fitted better than any other shoe she had ever worn. Or at least as far as she could remember. "I'll take them." Lily said to Terrence who collected the things and moved them to be wrapped and sold.

Lily pulled out her credit card and just as she finished paying for her formal outfit, gunshots were fired and the air was thick with tension and screams. That's when she heard it, a high pitch laughter that echoed through the stores.

The Joker was here.

xXx

Lily grabbed Terrence's arm and quickly tugged him into the changing rooms where the other girls screamed and pulled at each other's arms. Lily shoved the red-head into the store room and turned to the girls with an agitated look in her eyes.

"Oi! Shut it!" She shouted at them. Amazing, they fell silent except for a few sniffles and hiccups. "Quickly, get in here..." She said holding open the door.

"D-Do you really think he'll come in here?" Asked the girl with a fake tan and bleach blonde hair as they filed into the store room.

"Knowing my luck, yes." Lily murmured as the last girl marched in. The Joker's laughter grew louder and the sound of shattering glass filled the air. "Shit." Lily closed the door and moved a stack of boxes in front of it to make it look like no one uses it. She bent over another box to reach for her fallen handbag, her finger's just centimeters away from her knife and phone.

"Nice view Doll face."

She froze. _'Crap.'_ Lily straightened up and turned to face him. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and she mentally scolded herself. He walked up to her holding his knife in one hand, playing with it, as he looked into her violet eyes that showed no sign of distress. He knew that look. It confirmed what he had found out that night.

"We've really gotta stop meeting like this..." He growled as he invaded her personal space and backed her against the stacked boxes. "...Lilith."

Something in Lily's eyes snapped. With a sharp shove, Lily pushed the Joker away for a second, distracting him and she dove for her hand bag and grasped the knife. He knew who she was, her identity was no long a secret. The Joker straightened up and laughed as she held up the knife and took a defensive stance. "Don't. Call. Me. LILITH!" she screamed as she lunged at him.

He side stepped her, grabbing her wrist in the process and twisted the knife out of her hand and they engaged in hand on hand combat. They both attacked each other with ferocity, but the Joker could feel she was holding back. She had something dark deep inside her aching to be released. He wanted to draw it out, bring out the monster inside of her... she was already well on her way.

Finally, he had enough.

He grabbed on of her fists and expertly twirled her into a death grip with her back against his chest and her arms pinned under his. He could easily kill her in this position. He could snap several bones, damage several organs and she wouldn't be able to stop him. But the Joker wanted to break her mentally before he physically destroyed her. He nudged her head to the side and breathed heavily on her neck. "See ya tonight Lil-ith." He whispered in her ear. Chills ran up and down Lily's spine both good and bad. Her knees grew weak and for a split second, she stopped fighting against him.

Roughly, he threw her down onto the ground in front of the large mirror and casually strode out. Lily pulled herself up into a sitting position and looked at herself in the mirror. "Great, just great..." She murmured. Her entire person was covered in patches of white, red and black paint and on her neck and surrounding hair, it was tainted red. Bruises, cuts and bumps scattered across her body but the worse part was her wrists and arms.

With a groan, Lily stood up and opened the door to let out the frightened people. She looked at Terrence with a forced half smile. "I'm going to need gloves as well."


End file.
